Taula

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For the island, see Taula (Tonga). For the Romanian village, see Onceşti, Bacău.
This is a taula from the site of Talatí de Dalt about 4km west of Maó.

A taula (meaning 'table' in Catalan) is a T-shaped stone monument found on the Balearic island of Minorca. Taulas can be up to 3.7 metres high and consist of a vertical pillar (a monolith or several smaller stones on top of each other) with a horizontal stone lying on it. A U-shaped wall often encloses the structure.

They were built by the Talaiotic Culture between 1000 BC and 300 BC.

Their exact cultural meaning remains unknown, but they probably had religious and/or astronomical purposes. Most of the taulas face south, which seems to suggest some astronomical meaning. Archeologist Michael Hoskin has suggested the taulas may have been part of an ancient healing cult.[1] They are frequently found near talayots.

Examples include those at Torre Trencada, Talatí de Dalt, Torrellissá Nou, Trepucó, and the site at Torralba d'en Salord.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Astronomy study reveals ancient places of healing", New Scientist 5 April 2004

External links

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